Pro Auto Disk question

[PeteQuad]

I think I am pretty much set up to start reloading, but I can't figure one thing out. How am I supposed to run powder or graphite through the Pro Auto Disk as per the recommendations without having an actual case or bullet below? The spring is very tight and I'm not 100% sure how exactly it actuates - I guess when you push the brass mouth up into it?

I've included pic below in case I set something up incorrectly. Don't mind the temporary workbench, the one I will be using is not set up yet.

[Scorch]

It looks like you have it set up right. Yes, the powder measure does not work unless a round is pushed up inside it. That said, put some powder in it and cycle a few cases through it and dump them back into the hopper. The powder has graphite on it, so you'll get enough of it into the workings easily.

[BigO01]

When you run a piece of brass into the die it flares the case mouth and the disk is actuated forward so it lines up with the hole in the hopper where it receives powder from the hopper and then the disk continues forward until it lines up with the die , at that stage the powder simply falls through into you case . Your not suppose to run powder through this in any other mannor than as it was designed .

I have no idea why you would want to run graphite through it . If you have a static electric issue the directions specifically says to wash the hopper in water and dish soap . Remove it from the base and wash it in plain dish soap and water and let it air dry , you can do the same to the disks if you wish to .

I have been using an Auto disk Measure for over 20 years and I have never needed to wash or coat it with anything to get it to run correctly with Winchester 231 , Bullseye and Power Pistol .

[PeteQuad]

There were a bunch of people that mentioned running some graphite through it made the powder flow through smoother, and that the first few cases might not be as accurate due to static, which is why I was looking to do this. Actually, I couldn't find anything in the instructions that mentions static at all - there was really only 1 small page with it.

[benedict1]

You can also smear some graphite on the disk you put into it. It will not work without the hopper bolted in place and an empty case going into it so the expander will be forced up to actuate the disk.

BUT--make sure you install the die correctly before operating or you could destroy a case!

[PeteQuad]

I loaded my first 2 bullets with the press, and it was a great learning experience

A couple of questions, if you don't mind:
1. The Hodgdon site says HP-38 is a spherical powder, but it looks more like flat circles. Are all spherical powders like that?
2. The first bullet I loaded, I put the primer in the holder by hand. When I did the second one, I tried using the safety prime system, but the primer didn't want to load. It looked like it might be because there was nothing pushing it down, perhpas because it was the only primer in the lever thing. Has anyone else had problems when there was only one primer left?
3. Because I wanted to just try the process the first time, I didn't get set up properly and as a result stupidly dropped a primer. I am having trouble finding it in my garage, even after crawling around a bit. How dangerous are these things? If I don't find it for a while am I at risk?
4. The guides say that the maximum length of a .38 special round is 1.550 inches. I measured my bullets and they are 1.524 inches. How far off the maximum is a safe length?
5. The first time I seated the bullet it was way way too deep. I used the bullet puller to get it out and then reused it. Any issues with that?
6. How do you empty the hopper without powder falling everywhere? Luckily I only had a little bit in there.

Thanks a lot if anyone has the time to answer any of these questions.

Regards,
Peter

[.45 Vet]

I've never tried HP-38, but from your description I'd call that more of a "FLAKE" style powder.

The lee priming chute needs to be kept nearly full,(15+ small primers), to reliably feed the shell plate.

You may want to notch-out an area of your bench under the press for spent primers to fall through. I went so far as to tape a playing card to the up-right support rods to deflect primers into the disposal chute, then into a bucket placed under the loading bench.

Live primers on the floor, even concrete should be safe from walking on with soft-soled shoes, but you should try to find and control them. Little kids and Daddy's tools come to mind.

If your in the starting to middle range of the suggested powder laod range, .016"under max length should be safe in a modern .38spcl. Try to make up a few dummy rounds for your favorite bullets BEFORE setting the crimp to get the desired length.

To empty the hopper, simply unscrew it from the expander/charge die and pour it back into the container with the use of a funnel. Hope this helps....

[benedict1]

1. It's a ball powder--don't worry.
2. Have you installed Safety Prime properly? See

http://www.surplusrifle.com/reviews2...ress/index.asp

for proper install guide and see this link for operation

http://tinyurl.com/lxapv

The proper motion is to push in and let the trigger push down to seat the primer. Here is another video demo--the Lee website has a number of good demos.

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/Hel...5%20case-1.wmv

3. Use a flashlight at a low angle to help spot that primer.

4. OAL you quote is SAAMI spec, for max length. Anything shorter should chamber in your revolver. I load .38 Spec. for a S&W 686 to~1.450". You need to be concerned about MINIMUM OAL--if too short you can kick pressure up too high. Your loading table should give a Min OAL.

5. No, you can use again but you obviously did not read the directions for installing and setting up the bullet seating die. Watch this video--

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/Hel...bs%20die-1.wmv

6. Unscrew the powder measure from the die and just dump the powder back into the right cannister!

Get back to us re: Safety Prime. It should work great.

[benedict1]

The lee priming chute needs to be kept nearly full,(15+ small primers), to reliably feed the shell plate.

You may want to notch-out an area of your bench under the press for spent primers to fall through. I went so far as to tape a playing card to the up-right support rods to deflect primers into the disposal chute, then into a bucket placed under the loading bench.

None of this is relevant to the Classic Turret Press you have. This for the older turret press. Go to that link I gave at surplusrifle above--it will answer most of your questions.

Although they call Win 231, HP-38 ball powders they are actually tiny flakes--more rounded on edges than 'flake' powders like Unique, etc.

[BigO01]

PeteQuad I loaded in the basement for years on a concrete floor and dropped primers and never found them , obviously they never went off by my walking on them so that's a non issue .

If your Over all length is longer yet not so long as to bind the cylinder of the gun it is a non issue , with an auto if it feeds it is OK and with autos different bullet styles some times need some experimentation to get them to feed .

As a beginner always stay in the middle to lower end of a powders load range and if you seat a bullet a little deeper it will still be fine especially with rounds like the 45 acp and 38 special and a starter load .

When you load different bullets and you get things set just right keep a log as to how you set up with that particular bullet style and powder combination .

O a common newbie mistake is to load a primer upside down , if you do this simply put some oil in the case "Household 3-1 sits on my bench just in case I do this" and let it sit for a few days "I give it a week" then deprime it after cleaning the case , you can simply let it soak in a good decreasing dish soap and then dry with a paper towel . All the oil must be cleaned out or it will kill the new primer and or powder you put in that case . Or you can just throw away the case upside down primer and all after killing it with oil .

One last thing , get the process down to where you are comfortable before loading for high pressure rounds in small cases such as the 9mm and 40 S&W as seating a bullet too deep in these kinds of rounds can send pressures beyond what is safe .

When setting up a seater die use a piece of brass minus a primer and powder , back the seater plug quite away out and set the die per instructions except don't set the crimp , then screw down seater plug until you get OAL as you want , then barely back out the seater plug and adjust die to crimp after a few dummy rounds you Will get it all set .

[PeteQuad]

I found that primer Re: that bullet mishap - I did read the instructions, but it's a lot to take in at once and sort of hard to understand at first. But I think I'm getting it now.

So, I looked at my Safety Prime setup and everything looked good. The push button didn't feel right though, so I took out the large primer one (the white one) and compared the one I had attached to it, and there was something definitely different. The one I was using felt broken, and I could see that the thing that pushes the primer out was not coming back far enough to grab one to load. I ended up taking it apart to see what was wrong.

Here is what I found. There is a metal piece inside that has to rest in a hole - the tension it has is what pulls the loader back far enough for a primer to be allowed into the mechanism. You can see below that the metal piece was not in the hole, it had slipped out:


Here are some pictures of my setup, so you can verify it.


After I fixed that piece I could get it to work if I jiggled it around so the primer loaded, but it still feels as if the primer is not sliding in by itself, as if it needs more of a push. Maybe the angle is wrong and I need more gravity?

I went to look online to see what it would cost to replace and it is only ~$15. However, I read a review on modway about it wher someone said that the only issue they had was that it won't feed when there are only 2-3 primers left. So I guess I probably have the same issue now.

[CrustyFN]

The first bullet I loaded, I put the primer in the holder by hand. When I did the second one, I tried using the safety prime system, but the primer didn't want to load. It looked like it might be because there was nothing pushing it down, perhpas because it was the only primer in the lever thing. Has anyone else had problems when there was only one primer left?

When I get down to the last 2 or 3 primers in the safety prime I have to shake it a little bit to get them to come out.

How do you empty the hopper without powder falling everywhere? Luckily I only had a little bit in there.

I unscrew it from the die and dump it back into the container. Congratulations on your first couple of loads. Your setup looks good.
Rusty

[Scorch]

Maybe the angle is wrong and I need more gravity?

If you do figure out how to get more gravity, patent it.
No. As the primer tray get empty, the primers hang up in the chute easier. I keep some Q-Tips around to clean it out every now and then.

[benedict1]

Peter, you are doing great! Everything looks good.


The trigger is faulty--call Lee ASAP Monday morning and tell them the trigger spring keeps slipping out of the keeper hole. That is under warranty and they'll send a new one pronto. But, ask for Dave or Pat--they will know right away what's wrong.

I had the same thing happen last year. Once you get a good triiger it all works great. Just place the primers by hand till you get the new one.

[Mike Irwin]

"Although they call Win 231, HP-38 ball powders they are actually tiny flakes--more rounded on edges than 'flake' powders like Unique, etc."

Ball powder is actually a generic term because of the production process.

Some ball powders appear to be flake powder because it's pressed during production as a means of controlling the burning rate.

[nass]

Good looking setup. Your well on your way to thousands of rounds.

Doesn't look like you've oiled the setup yet. A couple drops around the turret ring and ball detents, some on the lever arm pivots, some on the index rod, and some on the ram itself. Did you degrease the dies and powder measure parts? I had not done that and found it made things worse.

My way for emptying the powder hopper is to shut it off by twisting it to the off position, cycle it a few times into a case (dumping the powder back in the hopper), and then taking off the hopper by the two brass nuts. Hold the hopper over your powder container and turn it back on. Works for me.

Keep chugging along.

[PeteQuad]

I put just a tiny bit of oil on those parts and wiped it down after from habit because I like to keep very little oil on my guns for fear of creating gunk. I'll put more on it after a bit, but everything is very smooth right now (I'm actually impressed with the whole thing - these presses are very neat gadgets ).

I didn't degrease anything, but nothing feels very greasy to me and I'm not sure how to degrease something either (wash it in soapy water?). But if something will make my life easier or make the process smoother, I'm all ears!

I will call Lee about the trigger, and thanks for the terminology benedict. I wouldn't have known what to call it.

Haven't got back to the press yet - probably not until Monday with Mother's Day and all

[nass]

My degteasing solutions of choice are Mineral Spirits (paint thinner) or brake cleaner (same as gunscrubber). Don't wash metal with water if you aren't prepared to preserve it right away.

My issues with dies out of the box is they had a thin coating of rust preservative on them. When suzing and running to the powder die, some of the powder would stick to the case mouth. Keeping them dry helps.

[benedict1]

I will call Lee about the trigger, and thanks for the terminology benedict. I wouldn't have known what to call it.

Just send an email with your address to [email protected], Attention:Pat, and he will send you a new spring, pronto--they found that they had received some too short and out of spec. Problem is fixed at their end.

If you've already called I hope they took care of it.